Edge of Glory
by aquaXtreme
Summary: She could've successfully helped him but the arrogant, brilliant idiot would have never let her.


**_Loved the latest episode. Honestly, I was both terrified and excited to watch it but it was so worth the wait! Can't believe that its over now... :(_**

_**When does season 3 air again? Cannot wait! Really want to know how Sherlock survived! All of my friends have theories and we're creating bets on who's the closest to the real answer...can't wait until I**_**win!**_** XD**_

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><p>Sherlock narrowed his eyes at his phone, his fingers hovering tentatively above the phone's keys as he thought about sending a text. Eventually, he sighed and placed it back in his pocket, finding no reason for its use. He glanced at the slumbering form of John, wondering how on earth the doctor could sleep through such complex cases without his brain feeling groggy and rubbish when he awoke. His own brain took a few minutes to fully awake to even a fraction of the level of other people's.<p>

His head snapped up as a blonde woman slipped through the double doors, a clipboard clenched tightly in her hands as her knuckles turned whiter by the second. He glanced at her petite figure, grimacing inwardly at her orange skin caused most probably by the use of excess fake tan. She noticed him watching and smiled, acknowledging his presence. He locked orbs with her blue eyes before dismissing her, his eyes straying back to the table filled with chemical tubes.

Sherlock picked his phone up once again when it beeped, signalling a new message. He checked the name of the sender and smiled wryly, putting the device back in his pocket without opening the message. He'd reply to Molly in a minute.

"Is he alright?"

Sherlock looked up at the woman once again, eyebrows raised at the sudden comment.

"Excuse me?"

She smiled, jerking her head towards John.

"Is he alright?"

Sherlock glanced at the doctor once before looking up at the ceiling in utter boredom.

"He's fine."

"That's...good."

She nodded once before turning back to her clipboard, lips pursed slightly in amusement. Silence passed by for a few minutes as neither looked in the general direction of the other. Except for the woman as she occasionally glanced back at him.

"What do you want?" Sherlock snapped, his eyes flickering back to the blonde in the pristine white lab coat. She faced him, one of her eyebrows raised.

"And I thought _you _were the consultant detective, Mr Holmes."

"Really, Irene, disguises aren't your forte."

Irene's eyes widened with surprise before she let out a laugh, throwing her clipboard carelessly onto the stool behind her.

"I honestly shouldn't be asking this anymore, knowing you but-" She approached him and jumped up to perch on the corner of the table, "how'd you know?"

"Don't make me bore myself by explaining a completely obvious and rather dull deduction, Miss Adler," Sherlock drawled, his face extremely bored yet his eyes crinkled with amusement as he stared at The Woman. "But if you really want to know, change your accent next time." Irene struggled to hide her grin at the tall man sat down on the stool in front of her. He leaned forward, placing the tips of his fingers together to form a triangle as he thought. "Why are you here?"

Her smile disappeared immediately as her posture stiffened with tension. She glared at him as she snatched her phone out from the pocket of her lab coat.

"What's this?" She hissed, scrolling through her phone before she opened a text and shoved it in his face. He glanced at her before he took the phone and scanned it quickly.

"And yet you did it. Even when I told you not to."

"It's for your own good, Sherlock."

"Oh, please," The detective scoffed. "Since when have you ever done anything good for me?"

"Sherlock," Irene frowned, hopping off of the table and kneeling in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at their close proximity. "I can help you with this. You know I can!"

Sherlock stared squarely at her, narrowed eyes focused on her eyes.

"I know. But, like I said, don't. I need to do this by myself."

"Bu-"

"Irene!"

She flinched slightly before she got up and walked back to the edge of the table, shoving her phone back into her pocket.

"I...I know what Moriarty's planning. I know exactly why he's playing this game so why are you just...walking into it? I'm sure you know what he's doing too!" Sherlock stayed silent, his jaw locking with frustration. "So...why?"

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised in faint amusing.

"And I thought you were out of the criminal business, Miss Adler."

"I keep tabs on people that interest me, Mr Holmes," Irene stated, inspecting her nails with a smug smile printed on her face. "But that's not the point!"

"Then what is?"

"Its that you're willingly and knowingly walking towards your bloody death!"

"And why do you care?"

"I don't," She snapped, annoyance tinging her voice. "Like you said, sentiment is a weakness."

"Glad you agree." She decided not to respond. "I know what I'm doing, Irene."

"What about him?" Irene glared, pointing her index finger at John as he snored in his stool. "Are you going to tell Doctor Watson about what you're planning to do?"

His eyes narrowed imperceptibly at her comment.

"He'll be alright."

"No he won't!"

"Irene, please shut up!"

"Sherlock!"

They both froze when the sleeping doctor groaned as he shifted slightly in his seat before falling back to sleep. She glanced at her wristwatch and looked back at the detective who had gone back to staring at the ceiling.

"Sherlock..." She sighed furiously when he simply ignored her. Irene observed her surroundings before grabbing a small round ball and throwing it at the man. Her mouth fell open with shock when he caught it flawlessly and smirked at her. "...bastard."

"Molly's got it sorted."

"...Molly?" Irene frowned. "Your girlfriend?"

He rolled his eyes.

"You know, I've successfully faked my own death twice in the span of a few months. I could do wonders for you..."

"I'd rather do it my own way but thank you for your...offer."

"Right...you've got Molly..."

"Right."

Irene nodded slowly before turning around and heading towards the double doors. She grasped the door handle but stopped short. She hesitated for a second, only a second, before facing the consultant detective once again.

"Let's have dinner, Mr Holmes."

He glanced at her, the smallest of smiles granted on his face.

"I'll be dead."

"I don't care."

Sherlock turned his back to her, facing the ceiling yet again. She wondered when the ceiling had become more interesting than a human being.

"I'll think about it." Irene knew he wouldn't add anything else to his comment. She wanted to have an excuse to stay with him for a few more minutes but she quickly decided against it. She opened the door and walked out. "Irene!"

He waited a few seconds before her head popped back into the room, a questioning look on her face.

"Yes?"

"Promise me that this is goodbye."

A look of hurt flashed across her face, one that she knew Sherlock had caught on to.

"Sorry, what?"

"I don't want to see you again, Irene. I can't."

"So...this is goodbye?"

"This is goodbye."

She stuck her chin out in a small hope of saving what was left of her pride.

"Fine. Goodbye, Mr Holmes."

She fumed silently as he didn't even bother to say goodbye back to her. Instead, he chose to juggle the round object she'd thrown at him earlier. She nodded stiffly before leaving the room, slamming the door tightly behind her.

Irene took a deep breath to compose herself before she took out her phone, scrolling down to a particular text that had been sent to her weeks earlier.

_Don't interfere._

_- SH_

She wouldn't interfere. She couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to or how much she could.

She'd given him her word.

She was halfway out of the hospital when her phone vibrated silently in her pocket. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the sender's name.

_I really hope you don't think that this is a permanent goodbye, Miss Adler. You're far too interesting to lose._

_- SH_

Irene grinned unwillingly at the message. Her fingers flew across the phone's keypad, typing words quickly onto the screen. When she sent the message, she shoved her phone back into her pocket. And for the rest of the way home, she had an extra smug swing in her step.

_Never crossed my mind for a second, Mr Holmes._

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><p><strong><em>Like I said, just waiting for the money from my friends to come rolling in into my pocket ;)<em>**

**_(I did extra research on the forums on the internet and most of them agree with my theory or have similar ideas...my friends are so going down)._**

**_Hope you enjoyed the story, folks! Just my 'tribute' to honour the end of season 2 :)_**

**_P.S What do you think of 'AdLock' as a Irene/Sherlock name? If you're a shipper, you could be 'AdLocked'. Just a thought. _**


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